Women in Aviation, International is an organization that I feel a strong
connection to—not only because the title of the organization pertains to me as
a female pilot, but also because it represents everything I believe and hope for in
the field of aviation. It’s an organization
that brings together people of all races,
backgrounds, and genders who genuinely
have a passion for aviation. This passion
is never more evident than at the annual
Women in Aviation Conference.
This was the third conference I’ve attended, and my last as a student at Minnesota State University-Mankato. My
sophomore and junior year at the conference, I spent more time learning
about what different companies looked
for in their employees and exploring
potential internships. This year as a senior, I took more time to look into the
different companies—what its benefits
were, upgrade time, and overall quality
of life for its pilots.
This conference has been invaluable for me as a young pilot with only
300-some hours. I networked with recruiters from every regional and major airline, made contacts with fellow
students at other aviation schools, and
gained important knowledge on what it
takes to succeed the first few years at a
regional airline.
One thing that has stood out for me
from my first conference in 2012 was
something I learned talking to airline
recruiters and senior captains. They
had told me that if it was between two
identically qualified candidates for a pilot position, they would choose the one
that was an active member of WAI or
that they had met at a WAI conference.
That showed me how valuable attending the conference is, and how important it is to network.
—Raechel Geary, WAI 46149
exhIbIt hall
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